Between its animated adaptations and video game collaborations – which so far includes the likes of Dead Cells and V Rising – Konami’s legendary Castlevania series is alive and well and shows no signs of stopping (although an actual new game would also be nice, Konami). And up next is Dead by Daylight’s previously announced Castlevania chapter, which is now confirmed to be launching on 27th August, with a public test build arriving today.
Castlevania’s Dead by Daylight colloboration sees Dracula joining the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game as a new Killer, and he’ll be accompanied his power-granting castle, as both are “inextricably linked”. Developer Behaviour Interactive notes any time Dracula is the featured Killer in a trial with an original map, players will see his castle looming over proceedings.
Dracula is officially Dead by Daylight’s first shape-shifting Killer, and is able to transform into a bat and wolf alongside his vampire form. The bat is “quiet as a creeping shadow” and can gain ground “with a blink”, which, more practically means bat-Dracula has the Undetectable status effect, can move faster, ignore vault points, and teleport to any vault points within 32 meters. Survivors become invisible, but their scratch marks can be seen.
Dracula’s wolf form, meanwhile, has increased movement speed and a “keen nose for fresh blood”. Which is to say, pools and scratch marks are more apparent, and Survivors leave a trail of Scent Orbs behind them – which can be collected to charge a powerful pounce attack. And in vampire form, Dracula can cast the Hellfire spell, creating pillars of flame ahead of him or across low obstacles, that “sear flesh and render bone to ash”.
Dracula – who comes with the Wretched Fate, Human Greed, and Dominance perks, as detailed in Dead by Daylight’s latest public test build release notes – is joined by a new survivor, vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, first seen in 1989’s Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. Trevor’s Eyes of Belmont perk reveals the Killer for a set amount of time when a generator is completed, and his Exultation perk upgrades a held item rarity to the next tier whenever a Killer is stunned with a pallet. And finally, there’s his Moment of Glory perk, which activates after opening or rummaging through two chests and automatically heals one health state when injured after a set amount of time.
Dead by Daylight’s Castlevania Chapter is available now for public testing on PC, but it’ll get its full release across all platforms on 27th August, when it’ll cost around $7.99 USD.